Understanding You
by Dark Impact
Summary: Mikey isn't understood by his family. But he still keeps up with it. Leo feels sad about himself for not being like his brothers. What can he do to make it all better?


_**Look who's back, the most popular tmnt story written (in my dreamsxD) *_***_

_**Here is a story, about 2018 rottmnt! It's purely inspired by Kastanie31 's art. A beautiful and heart warming art on davientart. You guys should check it out. They are really an amazing artists! **_

**_Thankyou for allowing me to write a story based on your art^^ _**

**_I hope you guys like it, it's a bit different and childish? Idk what the words are. But I hoped to capture the character development in the story. I really hope I did ok ^^' _**

**_Happy reading :3 _**

**_TMNT_**

Leo sat on the bean bag with his comic book up to his nose, not paying attention to the surrounding at all. He was only 4, didn't know how to read or write well enough like his brother Donnie. Who was a genius for his age. Leo never knew how Donnie got that brain of his. Maybe something special that Splinter gave him and left him out of it...like you know...keeping favourites? Or something like that.

Then there was Raph, the oldest one. A snapping turtle. How come he was so calm most of the time? Raph is was hell strong for someone his age, who was only 5. Even in this age Leo could count Raph's biceps muscles separately with bare eyes. How come Leo wasn't that strong? Was there something Special that Splinter was using to train him? Like a secret technique? Some special moves? Maybe...

Leo looked up from the comic book to take a peak at his brothers. Raph was as usual, working on his strength. And Donnie was brainstorming on a piece of tech that Leo would never understand in a million years according to Donnie.

Leo sighed and went back to his comic book. There was a slight shift in the surrounding but Leo didn't mind it. He chose to ignore it. He knew one of his brothers was making it's way towards him.

"What are you 'reading's Leo?"

It was Donnie, Leo hated that sarcastic tone even since Donnie learned how to talk. And Lo and Behold, he learned how to talk much before Leo... how cool was that? Right?

No...

Even when Leo couldn't talk properly, he could understand all the words and sentences perfectly. He could follow ever movement of the lips and gestures and every hint. Leo had a gift to understanding, what was happening in the surrounding. A natural gift, that helped him run away when even he thought he was in trouble. When ever he thought something was going to happen. One might say Leo had a precise intuition.

But it was no good. He wasn't Smart like Donnie. He wasn't Strong like Raph. He wasn't his father's favourite son like Raph and Donnie.

Leo hated himself for that. He felt useless...

"Nothing...just reading the comic book. Which is obviously more cool than whatever you're doing in the corner!"

Leo put the comic book down and eased his shell on the bean bag, giving a slay smile to his brother.

"Oh please, you can't even read properly!"

Donnie said in an unimpressed tone. While Leo pouted playfully.

"C'mon bro, you need to use that brain of yours. The comic book explains everything with the pictures. Look ...look at it!"

Leo pushed the pages right into Donnie's face to show him, who just swated it away like a fly.

"No, I don't like i want to waste my time Leo...!"

"Huh! You sure don't know how to work on short cuts bro. What do you use that brain for? Making toys?"

Every word came out like a slap to the 4 years old genius. His anger rising and he finally jumped on the blue clad turtle. After a few hustle, both were separated by their rat father.

Leo was being held up in the air y his father's tail while Donnie kept huffing and puffing and babbling something about how Leo was dumb and didn't understand anything. Leo kept laughing it out until he was scolded by Splinter and was told to go back to his room.

_**TMNT**_

I laughed it all out like it was some kind of a joke. Like I didn't care about it. Honestly, I don't care anymore. What's the use of trying when you can't have something?

I turned around and slowly walked back to my room, passing the kitchen. Might as well get something to eat. Don't wanna be hungry in my room.

I walked in carefully and slightly looked back over my shoulder. I could still hear Donnie raging it out about how I called him brainless. And Raph was trying to calm him down. His strength, no use at this point. He can't use his strength to calm Donnie down. He only uses his strength when he wants to beat me in a spar match. Making me look like a loser.

I grinded my teeth in anger. All they see is how much their ego and speciality was hurt...they still don't understand how I feel.

They never will.

No one will.

I took a step forward and entered the kitchen, opened the cupboards to see if something was worth my attention. Ofcourse I had to climb up the shelf to reach it first.

"Nothing...I don't want chips!"

I closed it.

I jumped down and walked over to the fridge. Opened the door and looked around for a good 10 seconds.

Ok...there is Raph's sweet bread, I can take that but i won't. I'm not strong enough to stand up against him.

I was still looking around when I felt a something tugging on my left leg. I raised an eyebrow and looked down to see my baby brother with hug eyes demanding something.

"Huh? Mikey?"

My little brother, Mikey. He's just 3 years old and doesn't talk much. He smiles all the time. A smile that I'm familiar with and I've grown into it. At first it felt special...like don't get me wrong. I love to see this little fluff ball smile but it's the same in every condition.

When Raph messes up while training with Splinter. Mikey smiles.

When Donnie blows up an experiment, Mikey still smiles in the same manner.

That smile just doesn't add up any emotions. Maybe he doesn't understand when to smile. He is a baby afterall.

But I'm not stupid. I can see more than I look. Mikey's eyes say everything.

I look at him and he still has that smile on his face. He comes right infront of me with his face towards the fridge and his shell slightly toughing my plastron. I give him some space.

He extended his tiny arms and stood on his toes to pick up the milk box which was clearly out of his reach. I observed him and smiled. It was cute.

He could have asked for help.

"Ok ok, let me help you buddy!"

I snaked my arms around him and pulled him up very easily.

Gosh...

He's light like a feather...

Is that normal?

Mikey giggles and picked up the box gleefully. I hosted him down as carefully as I could not to drop him but somehow he still slipped and fell on him butt. I pushed him up again and dusted him off. Pushed him lightly towards the exit

"Ok, go to big bro Raph. You got what you needed. Shuu ... go on!"

Mikey's constant smile never left. It sometimes creep me out. But he toddled his way towards the exit only to stop. I raised my eyebrow.

"Mikey? Everything's ok?"

He turned around with the same smile and run up to me. And hugged me across my torso, pressing his chubby cheeks with force.

I patted his head.

"Don't worry buddy, if you need anything...Leon's got it!"

I showoffed to him. That's the only thing I'm good it.

Mikey pushed back and looked into my eyes with sparkling eyes and a smile...

Which said something different this time. It was only a hint. I couldn't catch it. Before I could take some time to process, it was gone.

I was standing there with my own thoughts and watched him run off.

Hopefully, I'll understand it one day.

_**Tmnt**_

I was grounded and told not to leave my room for until lunch time. I'm 8 years old now. Who grounds a kid of my age? They don't do it to the people upside...right?

How come I have to suffer so much? I helped them all!

Donnie blasted a mini rocket inside of the lab and I told him not to do it because I knew it was gonna end up horribly.

But no...they won't listen.

Instead Splinter grounded me for causing a commotion to stop the mad scientist.

I huffed and angrily threw the toys at the door. I wanted to scream so badly.  
They don't get it. If I'm not strong or smart like them, doesn't mean I'm nothing...

or does it?

I heard a knock at the door. I shot open my eyes to see who it was.

"What?"

That came out very rudely.

"M-mikey..."

He peaked inside poking his head slightly. I sat up to look at him. He looks cute hiding behind that door like a cat trying to sneak in.

"What do you want Mikey?" I tried to keep my tone neutral.

"I...was thinking, can you ...you know..."

"Come inside and speak loudly. I can't hear you over the babbling inside of my head!"

I laughed at my own sentences to lighten Mikey up. Which worked. The kid bought it. He's naive...too innocent.

He skipped towards and jumped on my bed beside me. Even when I'll m sitting on my knees Mikey's is still hell short. It's this normal for box turtles?

"So this comic book...I can't understand but I like the pictures and this guy...can you read it for me?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Hmmmmm...why not Raph or Donnie?"

I saw him fidgeting with his fingers like he was trying to think of some answers.

"...they don't understand this comic!" He said in a whisper.

Mikey can't read properly YET. So he sometimes asks for someone to read it.

But...

I don't...understand what he meant. I decided to let it slide.

After a while I read the whole thing and he looked so impressed with it. It made me wonder what was so cool about it?

But i was answered soon.

"Leo...the drawing and story is so amazing! Did you see how the captain saved his crew and defended all the stuff even taking alot of hits? He stood right back up. He didn't change himself!THAT WAS EPIC!"

Ok Mikey basically read my mind and answered my question.

I smiled back and closed the comic, looking at its cover.

"Thanks Leo,you're the best!" Mikey said.

My head snapped up to him.

"What?"

"Your the best! Donnie would never figure out the story like you did...and Raph would talk about how they should have played it safe. They would have gone off topic!"

I blinked in confusion, where was this going?

"You picked out the lesson from it..."

I did?

I smiled at my baby brother.

"Oh yeah? And what was it?"

"Not to give up...!"

I felt like something pulled the string off my heart. U even know the feeling when you pull a violen string? A connection to the music? I felt heavy in the chest.

"Your the best Leo!"

Mikey smiled but it wasn't the same ...it held that emotion that I saw a few years back in the kitchen.

I've rarely been told that I'm good or something ... but hearing someone say I'm great...it's not what I expected.

I see that smile. I understand it.

I never took the meaning of the comic. It was Mikey. He was telling me not to change myself .

Not to give up.

He ...

Understands?

He knows me?

I put the comic book aside and pulled Mikey in a hug. I didn't want him to see my tears. Didn't want him to see I was working hard for others to understand me.

"It's alright bro, if you need anything... Mikey's got it!"

Mikey said and I only pulled him further in a tight hug.

"You do you Leo. You don't have to hide behind those words. Just be you!"

I pulled him back and sniffed loudly...way loudly!

Gross.

"Stop watching grown up stuff, it's...messing with your brain, Mikey!"

Mikey laughed. And got off my bed to ran out. Only to stop at the door and look back to smile.

A smile that I now understand...

He always encourages others. It only depends on the eyes if you catch the meaning or not.

I think I did...

_**Tmnt**_

10 years old Mikey sat in his room with all kinds of spray paint scattered around him. He scribbled and painted and scribbled some more. Looked at it with his tiny tongue poking out.

He liked it.

No

He loved it!

He loved what he made. It was an abstract art. Mikey always found art as a great source of his liking. He was really a good artist. He had his room walls painted to the tip.

Got scolded for wasting and polluting the air with chemicals.

Sometimes he painted his shell and scales. He loved doing it.

He painted the same pattern on his shell like Leo. Leo praised him for the neatness and excellence.

While he got scolded for using chemicals on his soft shell, apparently he was still too young to be messing around with chemicals on his soft back.

Mikey got up with painting and ran off towards the gym to Raph.

Raph as usual, was working out.

"Hey Raph, Raph look what I made!" Mikey pushed it on his face.

Raph looked at Mikey 1st and instantly went on lecture mode for covering himself in paint again. Apparently Mikey got sick last time when he accidentally inhaled some paint.

He banned Mikey from painting but Leo talked him out of it saying it was actually an accident and it was not his fault.

"Mikey, what did I tell you? Don't let the paint get to your scales. You got paint all over your face!"

Raph licked his thumb and scrubbed it over Mikey's cheeks trying to clean it off.

"But Raph...look at th-"

"Hold on will ya? Gotta get this thing off first!"

Mikey pushed off Raph and showed him his art. Raph took a quick glance at it and lowered it.

"It's...a chicken?"

"..."

"It's really cool! A little bit of white is missing though"

Mikey sighed and took his canvas from his big brother. Silently walked towards the exit.

"Hey Mikey? Wanna join in the training?"

He turned around and smiled at Raph.

"Thanks Raph, but I'll pass!"

Raph shrugged and went back to his business while Leo came infront of him from no where.

"Yo bro, have you seen my onnies. I left them i-"

Leo noticed Mikey walking out silently with his shoulders slumped and head lower.

"What happened to Michelangelo?"

Leo inquired.

"Something happened!?"

"What? I was asking y...you know what? Forget it. I need to find my onnies!"

Leo went off to find his onnies.

Mikey sucked in a long breath and entered Donnie's dark lab. He looked around and found his soft shelled turtle. He happily ran up to him and showed the art.

"Hm?"

Donnie twirled it from side to side and looked from every angle. Like he was Inspecting some kind of a complex heavy mechanical object.

Mikey waited patiently for the reviews. He had high Hopes.

"It looks like a wind detection metal object that is mostly seen over the farm house!"

"..." Mikey tilted his head.

"Ugh! It looks like a roaster Mikey. You did...good!"

Donnie patted his head and went back to his work on welding the metal wires together.

Donnie didn't go far from Raph.

Mikey picked it up and smiled again.

"Hey Donnie, that thing that you're working on...it looks cool!"

Donnie smiled back.

Mikey skipped out with a conflicted mind. He wasn't sure if he should go to Leo or not. But he decided to do it anyway.

Running towards his big brother's room,Mikey entered Leo's room by slamming the door like it was his own room.

"LEO ...LOOK WHAT I- Leo?"

Empty room.

Nothing but posters and cloths all over the floor.

Mikey's mouth turned into an ' o ' shape and then he smiled back at the room.

"It's ok Mikey,you can show him later!"

He turned around and walked to kitchen when he stumbled upon Splinter.

'Its It's ok, just show Pop's your greatest creation and he'll figure it out'

He told himself. And showed the art. Only to get the same answer.

"It's a good sketch, Orange. This reminds me that I have some chicken nuggets left in the oven. Now if you'll excuse me...!"

Mikey went back to room,with his head half tucked inside his shell in disappointment. He pulled the chair and sat on it. More like flopped on it with a huff.

He hid his face in his arms, on the table. Tried his best to smile but his lips kept shaking. He worked hard on that thing and no one wanted to appreciate it. They were all busy in their own world. To busy to look at other things. To busy to understand something that was beyond their lines.

Leo peaked inside Mikey's room.

"You here Mikey?"

He saw his little brother limped on the table. He looked like he was asleep, from behind. But Leo knew better. Mikey's pose was way to stiff to be asleep. He walked towards the kid.

Mikey didn't even notice Leo entering his room.

Leo snatched the canvas from the table.

"Uh,What you got there bud?"

Mikey snapped back into reality and jumped from his chair to take back what was his. Leo didn't have the time to look at the canvas since Mikey jumped on him and Leo moved back.

"Give it back Leo!"

Leo raised an eye brow, and looked down at his tiny box turtle brother with a smirk.

"You want it back, Mmmm? Come on boy,take it!"

Leo simply raised his arm up in the air over his head and teased Mikey to reach it.

Unfortunately for the little one, he wasn't even close to Leo's height. He tried jumping but that didn't work either.

"Aww come on, you giving up already?" Leo said.

Mikey angrily pouted and slammed himself into Leo. Leo quickly balanced himself and ran out of the room, laughing. He knew Mikey would follow him.

They were making quiet a fuss in the whole house, disturbing everyone as they ran by the others.

"BLUE, ORANGE, QUIET DOWN I AM TRYING TO WATCH MY SHOW!"

"Leo, don't start a fight with Mikey!"

"Ugh, can it get any louder with these running around? I can't work on my project like this!"

When both of the mutants reached the living room of their so called home, Mikey slumped down on the floor with a heavy pout and glassy eyes. He refused to follow his brother.

Leo slowed down and turned back when he felt no presence behind him. He found his baby brother in the middle of the room on the floor with an angry adorable pout. He walked back to his brother.

"What's wrong Mikey?"

"What's the use?"

"Huh?"

"What's the use running after something that isn't even good-" Mikey lowered  
his head.

Leo looked surprised and decided to see the canvas now.

"- it's not even worth running after. Besides you wouldn't understand it and it's totally-"

"AMAZING!"

"..."

"Mikey, this is awesome!"

A bloom of hope raised in the little one's chest.

"...r-really?"

"Yeah dude, look at this abstract art! Its perfect. You're a great artist Mikey and look how the colours match per-"

The other members of the family walked into the living room to see the commotion.

Leo couldn't even finish his sentence since Mikey hugged him shut. Mikey plunged on Leo and hugged him silently.

Leo blinked a few time and couldn't guess what happened.

"I love you Leo, you're the best!"

He half yelled. And the other's looked dumbfounded. Along with Leo.

"Ok, what just happened?" Donnie asked.

Leo looked over his shoulder to see his two brothers and father standing their with huge question marks over their head.

"Don't worry about it, I completely understand it!" Leo said to Mikey while looking at his family. He patted his brother's head.

"Thanks Leo!" Mikey pushed himself away and looked at Leo with a bright smile. That angry pout and sadness suddenly gone.

Leo squished Mikey into a hug and laughed. He loved seeing that bright smile and hope in his brother's eyes.

A specific look that make Leo think he's worth something. That the others are missing out.

A smile of trust and encouragement which made Leo believe that someone was out there looking at him to understand the words. That someone was looking up to him and asking for help even if they couldn't ask for it.

"I got ya buddy!"

**_TMNT_**

It's still the same after all these years.  
We may be more expressive than we were before but it's still somewhat the same. I look at Donnie who has his back towards us and eyes on his tablet.

Inside, I feel like I wanna burst in anger as I listen to Raph's lectures, that he's giving to Mikey. But I simply roll my eyes. No use wasting my anger.

I'm not even a hot head.

"Look Raph, let Mikey go out on his own!"

"Leo? You know he could get hurt!"

I 'understand' what your trying to say. And I agree with your protective instincts but what about him?

He needs his freedom too! He's a growing kid.

I sighed, I didn't say any of this. They wouldn't understand it.

"Yeah I know dude, but you went out on you're own when u were his age! I say let him go!"

I practically felt Mikey's joyful eyes drilling the side of my head. I smiled in awkwardly

Raph said some thing stupid after that...something related to maths. I ignore it.

Mikey went to Donnie and asked his permission. I heard him say something like

"Hmm? Yeah yeah, what ever Leo said is probably ok!" Donnie murmured.

And then I saw Mikey 'flying' towards me with a kissy face and pused me down to kiss my cheeks and thank me by hugging the living hell out of me.

"Leo, I love you bro!"

"Hehehehe, I know I know!"

"And as for you Raph...you get laughed at!"

I couldn't stop laughing at his silliness. I watched him run out of the lair and for a split second he turned his face and smiled back.

'I understand you completely, Mikey'


End file.
